Facebook

Think about social media and the way it changes things. Never before has there been a time you could, at the click of a mouse, connect with your best friend from third grade. Your mom. Or your insurance agent. Or your child's grade school teacher.

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So where do you draw the line? With whom do you connect or not connect?

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We all have our own thoughts about this.

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As a writer my guidelines are a bit expansive. Not only do I connect with family and close friends, church family and old acquaintances, but with bloggers, authors, publishers and other industry insiders. People I'm genuinely interested in, and people I need to know, too. It's part marketing for myself and my writing. Networking.

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My daughters' art teacher is also my church sister. Under that latter premise we are connected on Facebook. We are part of each other's lives. What's curious is that I can see she is friends with all her co-workers--the other teachers who fill my daughters' days.

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Sometimes I think I'd like to connect with them, because I'm interested in who they are, in their lives, their comings and goings. We could be friends. You know, real pals. What's to stop us? And then there's the networking benefit, too, the getting my writing out there to as many people as possible.

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I haven't connected with them, because I don't want to cross that line. That professional school-is-school and home-is-home line.

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But is there a line? Even with the way social media has changed things?

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When has it ever before been appropriate for parents to connect with our kids' teachers, outside the school setting?

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Is it appropriate now? Since educators push the idea that parents and instructors really are a team who must work together?

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I'm not asking for advice, I just want to know your thoughts. How do you handle social media, and what's your personal rule for the connections you make?

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Photo from North Dakota State University extension program.